SANTA  MONICA  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  BOARD

 

Minutes of the REGULAR Meeting of April 7, 2005

To Be Approved

 

 

 

 

A REGULAR meeting of the Library Board was called to order by Vice Chair, Edward Edwards, at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, April 7, 2005 at the Montana Ave. Branch Library, 1704 Montana Ave., Santa Monica.

 

Call to Order

PRESENT:

Boardmember Edwards, Boardmember Field, Boardmember Oppenheim

 

Roll Call

ALSO PRESENT:

Jon Arenberg, Chair Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library; Greg Mullen, Acting City Librarian; Rachel Foyt, Administrative Analyst

 

 

No report.

 

Communications from the Public

Boardmember Oppenheim made a motion to approve the minutes of the Library Board meeting of March 3, 2005.  Boardmember Field seconded the motion.  The minutes were approved in a unanimous voice vote.

 

Approval of the Library Board Minutes

Jon Arenberg, Chair Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library, gave a report of the Friends activities to the Board. At their March meeting the Friends passed their stub budget (budget for less than a fiscal year). The Friends have decided to change their fiscal year to coincide with the Library’s fiscal year from July 1st - June 30th.

 

Report from the Friends of the Library, a Library Support Group

Due to a reduction in funding the Friends have adjusted some accounts in their budget. They will continue to fund Citywide Reads and the Summer Reading Program at the full level. Additionally they have allocated money for a Friends membership drive called Grow the Friends. 

 

 

At their April meeting the Friends will review a business plan for their bookstore in the new Main Library. Mr. Arenberg reported that the Friends website is in the process of being revamped. The changes will allow members to use credit cards to purchase memberships. The Friends expressed their interest in participating in the selection of the City Librarian.

 

 

Mr. Mullen distributed photos of the café art piece installation Underwater Canopy by Carl Cheng. The metal framework has been installed. Suspended inside the metal framework will be transparent glass images of underwater scenes.  Mr. Mullen distributed color photos of the images. The glasswork will not be installed until after the landscaping and any work that might damage the glass is done. Board discussion followed.

 

Update on the New Main Library

Carl Cheng Underwater Canopy

Work that is currently being done in the new Library facility:

  • Under floor utilities and cabling
  • Raised floor
  • Wall framing  and dry wall
  • Garage lighting
  • Switch over to permanent power
  • Installation of photovoltaics

 

 

 

The Temporary Main Library will soon be set up to accept credit cards to pay for fines and fees.

 

 

The Library Board reviewed a letter drafted by Boardmember Oppenheim to the City Manager and City Council regarding the vacancy left by retiring City Librarian, Wini Allard. Board discussion followed and revisions to the letter were made.

 

Letter to the City Manager Regarding the Vacant City Librarian Position

Boardmember Oppenheim made a motion that the letter be approved as revised. Boardmember Field seconded the motion. The motion passed in a unanimous voice vote. 

 

 

The Board directed staff to add a discussion of the vacant City Librarian position to the May agenda.  

 

 

The Board reviewed a follow up on the Huntington Beach Public Library cell phone use policy. Board discussion followed. The preference of the Santa Monica Library staff is to continue to deal with disruptive cell phone users under the current Library Rules of Conduct which state, “Please do not disrupt the Library with noisy or disorderly conduct”.  Under this policy noisy cell phone users can be asked to leave.

 

Nationwide Current Library Trends - Review of Library Journal Articles

The Library Board asked staff to investigate what precautions the Library will be required to take to safeguard the Stanton MacDonald Wright Mural. For example would flash photography be allowed?

 

 

Three proposals have been received in response to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for marketing and public relations professionals for assistance in the development and production of a marketing campaign for the grand opening of the new Main Library and the Library’s ongoing outreach and public education initiatives. 

 

Secretary’s Report

Marketing Request for Qualifications

The committee responsible for the selection of the marketing firm met today to discuss the proposals and select firms for interviews.

 

 

California Association of Library Trustees and Commissioners (CALTAC) Legislative Day is April 20 in Sacramento. Boardmembers are invited to attend to show support for libraries. Boardmembers and trustees meet with legislators from their district to discuss library issues.

 

CALTAC Legislative Day

Tutor.com is a homework help website for youth 4th - 12th grade. The site matches expert tutors to students, who need help with homework, using an online chat session or bulletin board. The Santa Monica Public Library makes tutor.com available for free to students in the library. The site can also be accessed from home through the online reference chat Ask Now.

 

Tutor.com

Library staff attended a review of the Brown Act workshop. The workshop covered formulation of agendas and posting of agendas. It stressed the importance of board and commission meetings being open to the public. 

 

Brown Act Workshop

Mr. Mullen thanked Vice Chair Edwards for participating in the filming of the Library Board’s video update for the annual Board and Commission video.

 

Board and Commission Dinner

The Board discussed taking a tour of the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum on Wednesday, April 20th at 4pm. Library staff was directed to see if the date was available.

 

Santa Monica Historical Society Museum Tour

The Library Board asked that the following items be included in next Library Board agenda:  museum requirements for the Stanton MacDonald Wright Mural; discussion of the City Librarian vacancy; revisit the Library Board’s Patriot Act resolution for modifications.

 

Agenda Building

Boardmember Oppenheim moved to adjourn the meeting.  Boardmember Field seconded the motion.  The motion was approved in a unanimous voice vote.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:35pm.

 

Adjournment

Attest:

Approved:

 

 

Greg Mullen

Kenneth Breisch

Acting City Librarian

Library Board Chair